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The hot HouseCraddick must deal with the heat he'll encounter as he becomes speakerState Rep. Tom Craddick’s apparent successful quest to become speaker of the House during the upcoming legislative session evokes the old heat and kitchen cliche.Certainly the Midland Republican has confronted the warmth generated by some of his previous dealings since he gained an apparent“lock” to be the new speakerIn question are his (and his daughter’s) association with Cap Rock Energy and allegations by a state official that he pushed legislation to qualify his daughter for state health insurance.Craddick has denied any business association wrongdoing, despite the fact that his daughter Christi was a lobbyist for Cap Rock and that he was paid $14,000 for brokering a business deal on behalf of a Cap Rock subsidiary.The Midland lawmaker also said that Sheila Beckett, executive director of the Employees Retirement System of Texas, is wrong when she says he initiated a 1997 rule that allows children of state employees to continue receiving state insurance until they marry, no matter how old they are. Christi Craddick was working as a lobbyist and was 26 at the time the legislation was passed. Without the change, her eligibility for state insurance would have expired at age 28.Christi Craddick gave up her lobbying work when her father announced his bid for speaker.But that doesn’t change the fact that Craddick pushed legislation favored by Cap Rock in 1999 that gave the company an edge over other electric companies. And, according to records at the Texas Ethics Commission, Christi Craddick was paid at least $30,000 in lobbying fees by what is now known as Cap Rock Energy.Cap Rock has come under fire from consumer groups such as the 40 West Texas cotton growers who picketed Cap Rock’s Midland offices earlier this month. They are protesting the manner in which Cap Rock is converting to a publicly traded corporation and the fact that the unregulated electric co-op has almost doubled irrigation rates. And because of its status, Cap Rock’s 11,000 customers, including some in Ector County, do not have the same option as most electricity consumers in the state to change providers. The farmers say they are being “held captive.Rep. Craddick has said Cap Rock is a large employer in his district and that his support for the legislation had nothing to do with his or his daughter’s business ties to the utility.But let’s face it. Public perception means more in today’s political environment than it did when Craddick was elected in 1969. He should understand that dealings that were handled behind the scenes before he gained the status of being the longest-serving Republican in the House are going to get more scrutiny in today’s world.And since he’s ascending to a fairly important kitchen as speaker, he should understand that his former associations are under a microscope and, as such, can generate quite a bit of heat.What’s more, the two instances of potential conflicts of interest cited so far have clearly shown that Craddick’s daughter received some tangible benefits.No doubt some of the assaults on Craddick’s credibility can be chalked up to politics as usual. But he’s got some issues to address before the blaze in the kitchen can be extinguished.► ’he Odessa American
Newspaper Details
Brownsville Herald
Brownsville, Texas, US
Tue, Dec 24, 2002
Page 1
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